Oldnslo
2/9/2006, 05:11 PM
Linky (http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/5317980)
MOSCOW, Idaho (AP) - Dennis Erickson returned to Idaho on Wednesday to become head coach at the school that gave him his start.
The 58-year-old Erickson got his first head coaching job at Idaho in 1982, before leaving after the '85 season for string of college jobs, including a stop at Miami that produced two national championships.
He has also been an NFL head coach with Seattle and San Francisco. The 49ers fired Erickson in January 2005 after he went 9-23 in the previous two seasons under his leadership.
At Idaho, he succeeds Nick Holt, who returned to Southern California as defensive coordinator after changing his mind about becoming an assistant with the St. Louis Rams.
Erickson signed a five-year contract worth about $200,000 a year, but with bonuses, it could be worth a total of about $1.5 million over the duration the contract, athletic director Rob Spear said.
Idaho is entering its second season in the Western Athletic Conference. The Vandals were 5-18 in two years under Holt, including 2-9 last season.
Asked why he would return to a school not in one of college football's power conferences, Erickson said he wanted to get back into college coaching and called Moscow "a good fit."
MOSCOW, Idaho (AP) - Dennis Erickson returned to Idaho on Wednesday to become head coach at the school that gave him his start.
The 58-year-old Erickson got his first head coaching job at Idaho in 1982, before leaving after the '85 season for string of college jobs, including a stop at Miami that produced two national championships.
He has also been an NFL head coach with Seattle and San Francisco. The 49ers fired Erickson in January 2005 after he went 9-23 in the previous two seasons under his leadership.
At Idaho, he succeeds Nick Holt, who returned to Southern California as defensive coordinator after changing his mind about becoming an assistant with the St. Louis Rams.
Erickson signed a five-year contract worth about $200,000 a year, but with bonuses, it could be worth a total of about $1.5 million over the duration the contract, athletic director Rob Spear said.
Idaho is entering its second season in the Western Athletic Conference. The Vandals were 5-18 in two years under Holt, including 2-9 last season.
Asked why he would return to a school not in one of college football's power conferences, Erickson said he wanted to get back into college coaching and called Moscow "a good fit."